A Bit of Ugliness

It’s downright cruel to enter a postseason without your shortstop or your second baseman, and the A’s were hoping that D’Angelo Jimenez’ defensive shortcomings wouldn’t become an issue. That unfortunate reality, and some ill-timed pitches by Barry Zito, turned a taut affair into a 5-0 Detroit lead in the fourth.

Pudge Rodriguez, whose career revival in Detroit is one of baseball’s best stories, led off the inning with a roaring homer to center, a punishing blast off a Zito curveball. After a walk to Craig Monroe, Marcus Thames hit a double-play grounder to third, where Chavez made a nice play, but Jimenez made a wild throw to first that allowed Thames to reach second.

He might not have scored from first on Brandon Inge’s ensuing double, an absolute rocket that slammed hard off the wall in left-center. From second base, it was a breeze. Before the inning was over, Placido Polanco had singled home a run, Sean Casey’s bloop single put runners at first and second with two out, and a very disconsolate Zito was replaced by reliever Chad Gaudin.

What we have, then, is the first postseason test of the A’s middle relief. Not that their starters were all at their best in Minneapolis, but they got decent outings from Esteban Loaiza and Dan Haren after Zito’s gem in the opener. Now it’s hold-the-fort time, and a once-excited crowd will have to hope the A’s can crawl back into the picture.